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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/25452436">A Meeting of Lions</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/PiousMage/pseuds/PiousMage'>PiousMage</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem Trans Week 2020 [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem Heroes, Fire Emblem Series, Fire Emblem: Fuuin no Tsurugi | Fire Emblem: Binding Blade</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>Gen, LITERALLY, it's called the binding blade for a reason folks, talking to yourself, trans!Roy</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2020-07-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2020-07-22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-05 09:13:56</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>General Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,764</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/25452436</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/PiousMage/pseuds/PiousMage</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>Roy has met a great deal of incredible people since being summoned to Askr, including his father. What happens when he meets himself?</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Eliwood &amp; Roy (Fire Emblem)</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem Trans Week 2020 [7]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/1833706</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>7</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>22</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Fire Emblem Trans Week 2020!</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>A Meeting of Lions</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Since his summoning to the Kingdom of Askr, Roy had been feeling a bit overwhelmed. He had been pulled away from his journey at the very outset of it; in fact, he had yet to even make it to Ostia. That, in and of itself, was concerning enough. How were the Pheraean knights and those mercenaries faring without his leadership? There was a part of him that felt as if they might be better off without such an inexperienced, young leader. But he willed those thoughts away. His father had placed his trust in him, and if there was one person in the world he believed in, it was his father.</p><p>He actually met his father in Askr, although it wasn't the father he knew. It was an Eliwood who looked more like Roy's sibling than his father. That was the first time he realized that Askr pulls in Heroes not just from across different worlds, but across time itself. It was a lot to wrap his head around, and it gave him a migraine if he thought about it too hard. It was enough of a culture shock to have to suddenly adjust to a new world. When that new world's inhabitants came from countless other worlds...it was simply far too much to keep up with at times.</p><p>When he met his father, he confided in him that he had been having trouble adjusting to Askr. "How do you do it, Father? How do you keep up with it all?"</p><p>Being called "Father" at such a young age made Eliwood's neck itch, but there was no denying that the idealistic young man in front of him was indeed his son. "It took some getting used to, to be sure. To tell you the truth, Roy, there are some aspects of it that I'm still not used to."</p><p>"Like what?"</p><p>Eliwood ran a hand through his hair. "Occasionally, we summon Heroes who have been lost in my world. I am thankful for the opportunity to see these faces again, but something about it will always make me uneasy." He took a breath. "Other times, we will summon Heroes with whom I have crossed blades in the past. Heroes I might even have cut down myself."</p><p>Ah yes, Roy had seen one of Bern's Wyvern Generals milling about the castle demanding that everyone look at him. "Is that not cause for concern? Why summon those who have done harm?"</p><p>"In Askr, we are united against a common enemy. There is no reason for us to turn our blades on one another." Eliwood rested his hand on the pommel of his sword. "At least, that is what I have been told."</p><p>Overwhelmed again, Roy held his head. "It's so much..."</p><p>"It is," Eliwood rested his hand on Roy's shoulder, "but remember you have comrades here, even if they may not always be the ones you know. And you can return home at any time."</p><p>"Yes. Of course. Thank you, Father." The Young Lion rolled his shoulders and exhaled. "I may do that, one day. But I would like to learn how to become a better leader before I return."</p><p>Eliwood laughed. "It heartens me that I will do such a fine job raising my son."</p><p>Something twinged in Roy's heart. Should he...? What effect would it have? Would there ever be another opportunity? How would his father react? He shook his head. His father was a good man. A good father. Even at such a young age, he will understand. "About that..."</p><p>"Yes?"</p><p>Might as well just come out with it. "When you return to your world, when you settle down with Mother, when she has your child...you may think it to be your daughter."</p><p>Eliwood's eyes went wide for a moment, and then he closed them as he nodded. "I see. You're like Hector."</p><p>Now it was Roy's turn to have his eyes go wide. Hector? <em>Marquess Hector of</em> <em>Ostia </em>was like him? He was lost for words. "I...didn't know."</p><p>"That's not surprising. It hasn't been common knowledge for some time, now. I'd wager that in your time it's practically ancient history."</p><p>Huh. Go figure. "In my time I was actually traveling to Ostia to meet with Marquess Hector. Whenever I arrive, perhaps I can talk with him about it."</p><p>"That sounds like a fine plan." Eliwood gave his future son a smile. "Thank you for talking with me, my son. Whenever I meet you in my time, I will make sure you are raised right."</p><p> </p>
<hr/><p> </p><p>His conversation with his father made his next few days in Askr a bit easier. Training was difficult, especially fighting at the side of so many unfamiliar soldiers, but in doing so he learned a great deal about tactics and leadership. He spent his off hours mostly in the library, his nose buried in books in order to learn more about this world and more about the worlds it brought together. He met people he knew, like the peppy mercenary Shanna, although he found that she had been summoned from another world, as the memories she tried to help him reminisce about were not things that had ever happened in the brief time they'd known each other. He met people from other worlds, like the burly mercenary Gerik, who reminded him greatly of the Dieck from his own world.</p><p>One day, he met himself.</p><p>He had known, in kind of an abstract way, that multiple versions of the same person could be summoned from different worlds. In talking with other Heroes, he'd found that in most cases, different iterations of the same Hero generally kept their distance, more for the benefit of others than themselves. In some cases, however, these variants of the same person could be identical in everything except their gender, a thought that sent chills down Roy's back.</p><p>Thankfully, the Roy he saw did not appear to be like that, at least on first glance. But he was still different. He carried himself in an entirely different way. He held a blade that caught fire at his behest. He had presence. He was everything that Roy wanted to be.</p><p>It was only when the other Roy approached that Roy, the Roy who had yet to complete the first task his father had given him since falling ill, realized that they were indeed one in the same person. "Hey, uh," the other Roy said, clearly nervous, "I figured I should say hi?"</p><p>"Hello," Roy said, extending a hand, "it's a pleasure to meet...me."</p><p>The other Roy laughed, taking the hand and shaking it with gusto. "I was wondering when something like this would happen." He looked his slightly younger and less experienced counterpart over. "You are at the outset of your journey, yes?"</p><p>Roy nodded. "Father sent me to Ostia to meet with Marquess Hector."</p><p>The other Roy grimaced, but blanked his face soon enough that no one could notice. "I see. You have quite the adventure ahead of you."</p><p>"What...happens?" Roy asked, taking a moment before adding, "Is it even a good idea to tell me?"</p><p>"Probably not. My own journey has been long and hard, but I am satisfied with its conclusion. I do not wish to jeopardize that by changing the past."</p><p>Roy admired how his counterpart did the right thing, even though he could see that there were things he deeply wished he could share with his past self. "Of course. You are revered here, after all."</p><p>"Revered?"</p><p>"The Askrans speak of you--of me--as a 'Legendary Hero,' one with strength beyond compare." Roy turned away. "That was why I wanted to meet you. I cannot imagine myself as such a heroic figure."</p><p>The other Roy sighed. "I had heard whispers. It gives me pause to be regarded in such a way, because my work in my own world is far from done."</p><p>"You don't see yourself as legendary?"</p><p>"I see myself as a person. I know my way around a blade, and I know that any world should be one in which all are free to live happily and peacefully." </p><p>Roy chuckled. "I'm humble to the bitter end, I see."</p><p>"There is always work left to be done, be it on yourself or on something else."</p><p>"And Cecilia's teachings have still stuck with me."</p><p>The other Roy chuckled, now. "She <em>was</em> a fine teacher!"</p><p>They shared a laugh, and it raised Roy's spirits enough that he thought to ask his counterpart one final, personal question. "Do you still," he trailed off, patting his chest lightly.</p><p>His counterpart roared with laughter. "I do! Although, it's funny you ask that." He caught his breath. "You're not the first version of me I've ever met. Some time ago, I met a Roy who wielded Durendal, our father's blade, as a tribute to him."</p><p>Roy was taken aback, although not at all by the revelation that there was a <em>third</em> Roy. "Wait, Durendal? Roland's sword?"</p><p>"The very same. Our father inherited that blade during his own quest, and this version of us must have picked it up at some point."</p><p>This was already a lot to take in. "What does this have to do with," he patted his chest again.</p><p>"In my chats with that Roy, I broached that topic once. He had no idea what I was talking about."</p><p>Wait, what? "Does that mean...?"</p><p>The other Roy nodded. "He had a head start on us, so to speak. But it was still uncanny. We were the very same, just as you and I are."</p><p>Roy felt a migraine coming on. "I don't understand."</p><p>"I didn't at first, either. I've had much time to dwell on it." Much like his father had done earlier, this renowned Roy put his hand on his younger self's shoulder. "It lets me know that all that extra work you and I had to do in our childhoods...none of it was a mistake. We simply had to do a little bit more in order to become our true selves."</p><p>The younger Roy nodded. "Yes. I am just as much my own self as you are, and as he is."</p><p>"Although," suddenly the other Roy pulled himself in for a hug, "it does me good to meet you, too."</p><p>Surprised at first, Roy eased into the hug and appreciated how it felt, weird as it was. "Why is that?"</p><p>His younger self would never see it, but the King of the United Lycian Territory shed a tear.</p><p>"It lets me know I didn't suffer alone."</p>
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